300 Win Mag Bullet Grain For Deer
 

I just picked up a Remington 700 Long Range in 300 Win Mag and am going to use it this deer hunting season. What would be the best factory load (brand and bullet grain) for whitetail deer? Most of my shots will be 150 yards and in, although I am set up to shoot out to 300 yards in the area that I will be hunting. I have read that some of the lighter grain bullets may blow up at shorter distance. Thanks in advance.

Don't you think probably about any bullet you put in a 300 Win Mag is going to be fine for deer? If YOU can hit it?

If you read my post at all I asked what would be the best to use. I know that any bullet you put in it will kill it. I am not worried about that.

You are going to have to buy a few brands with various bullet weights and head to the range.

All these "what are the best guns, best bullets" etc for deer are really not helpful. There are no best, there are worst but not best. Most of what you get for answers are opinions of other people's favorite guns or bullets or things that have worked for them, not necessarily the best because there is no such thing.

I'd buy three or four boxes of various quality loads. Shoot them, and pick whatever shoots best for you.

-Jake

I'd find what shoots best, and a 1 gun, 1 bullet load for all game I'd plan to hunt with that .300 win.mag.

usually I think 180gr and 300win.mag. is THE combo! but find what works...there are some quality 165gr bullets out there, even some 150gr, but I think I'd want something in the 165-200gr bullet size for elk etc... which then could also be used on deer.

I shoot .300wm but I don't often go after whitetail with it. It's more along the lines of my elk rifle when I don't have my smoke pole in hand. I rarely have to shoot more than 100 yards at whitetails and .300wm at 100 is still screaming along even with a 180gr bullet. If you think your shots are going to be 300 yards and in, I would go with a round loaded up with no less than 180gr bullets that are on the strong side to avoid blow up. I reload as does everyone in my family but I try to stay current on factory loaded offerings just in case I'm out of state and my rounds didn't make it to my hunting place with me. Hornady makes a pretty great round with velocities a bit above 3100 with a 180gr interlock. That load is pretty similar to my reloads for whitetail and elk. I think it's their custom line. The interlock has always held together very well for me on the few times I have had close range shots on elk and the couple of whitetail I've taken with it. Most of my elk shots are 150-300 yards out with modern rifle but sometimes I get into under 100. But like others have said, you will need to shoot whatever shoots best from your own rifle. If you are limited to factory rounds and have no knowledge of reloading then you will have to bite the bullet and pay out the huge costs of .300wm ammo and find which one shoots best for you. Maybe you will get lucky and hornady line will be accurate for you. The newer Nosler partition bullet is pretty stout and I think there are some federal load offerings with them loaded.

Then how are you defining "best", if you know they will all kill it?

At long ranges the MOA grows, what was a one inch group at 100 yards at 1 MOA is a four inch group at 400 yards. Figure in wind, temperature and that the speed of bullets changes by manufacturer, the margin four error increases at longer ranges.

I went on the hunt for the perfect round for my .308, the rifle manufacturer recommended 165 grain at 2759 fps (I called and asked). pointed boat tail bullets. After trying many hundreds of rounds, I finally figured out the rifle manufacturer was right. :)

I'd start at 180 grain around 3000 fps, pointed boat tail. Then figure out which bullet type expands the way you want. The wrong bullet can tear up some meat.

Been my experience most rifles favor a certain food, and when you find it, stick with it.

IMO shoot what gives you the smallest group at a hundred yards, then memorize your up hill and down hill corrections, know your limits, around 300 for my .308, probably 350 for your 300 WM. Bullet drop happens fast after a bullets sweet spot, which I usually figure at a round 15 inches of drop.

Two old sayings that still apply, aim small miss small and most rifles shoot straighter than the shooter does.